Electrical switch



Patented Aug. 17, 1948 ELECTRICAL SWITCH Leoflrzelm'p fennig Merkel, Tom, 'Jao'w-byiudicial ehange of name LeeG. Zee

'hpplicatfonlvlarcli 5, 1946,SeiialNo. 6525163 invention relates toi'mprovem'entsin ciredit ina'lrers and breakers and more particularly to automatic s'witches andtlie l ike.

fine of the objects 61 this in'ventio'n is to proflde-a-sirnplejeiiicie'nt and inexpensive electrical switch adapted to he associated with-a door and scream the door *moves '*to open or *closed position. I

in hirth'erbbjet thereof is to provide an eleciridalfs'wit'ch of such atype and 'form that "all pIir-ts thereof may protectdirom accumulation of foreign matter, and be placed in such'co- 6rdinati've po'sitions asto assure'positive action it times.

, "ik stil'l furtlier object thereof "is to provide an electrical gravity "operated switch with coordisilritcl'i -el'er'nen'ts adapted to "automatically lie-brought into circuit making engagement'interinittently upon "opening of the door, "and to"'become automaticaily disengaged upon "the (dosing of the door.

Zln carrying out "the foregoing objects it is proposed to erieeise one switch'el'ement'inthe other fn siich' nianner thatthe encasi'ng switch element my have independent movement with respect'to the' other-ele'ment for' the-"purpose ofefieotuating the disrupting oi the-electricalcircuitwhich both elements 'close wirhen theyengage'ea'ch other.

-'=A-'-still further object ofthis' invention is to provide a, novel "construction of electrical -swit'ch characterizedby allowing one switch element to have independent movement'with respect tothe other within "prescribed limits; coupling one switch element onto the otherior-the purpose of closing an electrical circuit; and keeping said circ'lfit closed for aprescribed.p'eriod, determined *by the requirement that the circuit be disrupted some timejust .prior to completely closing the door.

Withthe above and other ebjects in view'my invention -relates to the combination, arrangenew; ind-"litails of construction disclosd in*the drawings and specifications and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

7 In the drawings, wherein similar references characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a longitudina1 sectional view of the parts of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the parts in a circuit closing position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation, partly broken away, showing the assembly of leader and 01- lower switch elements, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but show- :2 ing the partsthereoiin a circuit 'ciosing p'csi-tion.

Referring to the drawin-gs, which are merely illustrative of my invention Tdisclosethe parts thereof. I shall designate two specially devi'sed switcheiementsas the-encasin'g-hr ieader switch elementand the encased or follower switch element respectively. lh'e encasirigswitch element is box -shaped and is -deSi-gnated n! having *its interior I i receiving the *en'case'd switch 'elemen-t which is a saddle member, designated generaiiy (5. The latter switch elementcomprises a ba'e/k wall 1 8, a -top wall l-l'joiriin'g-theba ck wallgand end walls 2 2 which have arcu-a-te shaped edges i6 earte'n'dir-ig from i-ts juncture point with ithe outer =edge-of top wall 11 and with the outer edge of'back wall l 't, as shown in'Flgu-re 2.

' For'the-purpose df swin'gably-seeuring the outer switch *Inembei' H] to the inner switch --meniber I5 I show thehinge pintle 4 2 operatively -mourited at'the corner 'dfa fixed door iamb Secured upon the-door jambA is hinge plate -l4 carrying pintle n, "while complementai hinge "plate 13 -is secured upon "the adjacent surface of one =-6f the-Walisof "the'encasing -=box switch element [0, be-iri'g a ls'or'nountedupon *said pintle W2 "Normally that isto sa'y, when-the door'isfuiiy closedupon the "door jam-b 'A, the "encased element, haying its hinged plate 14 secured "to the door "jam-b will have --switch element "or box I0 overlie or overlap the hinge "pl-ate 1 3,, "and the encasi'ng'element is completely ciosed"aro'und the encased "element and cannot be urged in movement at an in the direction of the door jamb, only "in a counter direction of 'i-moviem'ent "away from the 'iamb *A. "In-this Way'th'eiinnei' open end of the .box I0 is closedby thedoor'jam'b.

"The arcuate edge It "oithe encasedswitcheiemerit "I5 'is concentric with "hinge"'pintle f2, "and the"wallo'f'the box switch "element facing this arcu'ate "edge "or the switch element T5 is made so that' when" the door is moved to o'pen' position, and the box tiltsiun'derinfi'iiende 'of' gravity and moves away from "the door 'ja'nib A,'this particular wall will move in an are around the armate edge of the encased switch element relatively thereto as is shown in Figure 2. This gives it an independent movement with relation to the move ment of the encased element l5, within prescribed limits now to be explained.

Mounted upon the end walls 22 of the encased element 15 are conductor binding posts 2| which form contact members or points, which are to be placed in an electrical circuit. Lead in and lead out wires (not shown) are connected to these contact members. These contact members have flanges 23 formed upon them. There is a connecter contact member mounted on the inner side of that wall of the box switch element l which faces the arcuate edge l6 of the encased switch flexed. Suitable insulation is operatively had between both switch elements including the .insuv lator walls 22 through which the contact members 2| extend. Both switch elements will preferably be made from plastic material.

20 desi nates fasteners which secure the ,hinge plates upon their respective switch elements. The

switch element I0 is limited in its swinging to circult closing position by means of a pair of pins 24 carried by the outer element H], which engage in arcuate slots 25 formed in the end walls 22 of the stationary member l5.

- In operation the device functions in the following manner; when the door is open, gravity pulls one end of box l0 down, bringing connector 23a with its hooks 23b into engagement with contact members 2| of the encased switch element. Normally all parts are as shown in Figure 1. Here the box element In covers and encases completely the stationary switch element IS. The hook members 231) of the bridging member 23a on the box are so located, it will readily be seen from Figure 1, that they are spaced out of engagement with the contact members 2| of the stationary switch element. This bridging member 23a moves in a cycle that will contact members 231) to engage the contact members 2|, as the box I0 swings by gravity around the stationary encased element 5 at the beginning of the opening movement of the door. This is the independent movement allowed the box around stationary member or element I5. This independent movement comes to an end when, in the course of opening movement of the door, the hook contact members 23b of the connector member engage the contact members 2| on the fixed stationary switch element l5, asshOWn inFigure 2. At this time the connector member is coupled onto the encased switch element l5.

At the moment when the hook shaped contact members 231) engaged the contact points or members 2|, the electrical circuit: has been closed, to an electric lamp (not shown). It is contemplated that when the door opens that the room which it closes be illuminated.

Once thecontacts to the electrical lamp are included in a closed electrical circuit, the circuit will remain closed because this frictional interengagement between connector contacts and contact points of the respective switch elements continues during the balance of the movement of the door to open position. When the door is moved 4 back to closed position, in a counter direction, just prior to fully closing the door upon the jamb, the box switch element which is in tilted position on a bias with respect to the inner wall I! of the stationary switch element, has movement around the edge l6 of the encased element. As the door moves to finally fully closed position, the box element I0 swings upwardly to the position shown in Figure ".1 wherein the" electrical. current is broken by reason of the fact that movable contacts 231) are disengaged from stationary contacts 2|. I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction disclosed herein but cover all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I desire to claim is:

1. A gravity closing switch for mounting on a door frame and adapted to be moved to circuit breaki'nglposition by closing of the door; said switch comprising a stationary member formed of a horizontal top wall, a vertical front wall and opposite end walls having curved rear edges extending downwardly and forwardly, a pair of spaced contacts carried by the end Walls of said member, a housing enclosing said stationary member, means hingedly securing said housing to said stationary member whereby said housing will normally swing downwardly and forwardly,- and bridging contact means carried by said housing and adapted to engage said pair of contacts when said housing swings downwardly and forwardly.

2. A gravity closing switch for mounting on a door frame and adapted to be moved tocircuit breaking position by closing of the door; Said of a horizontal top wall, a vertical front wall and opposite end walls having curved rear edges extending downwardly and forwardly, said end walls having a pair of arcuate slots, an-upwardly open ing housing enclosing said stationary member, means hingedly securing said housing to said stationary member a pair of inwardly projectingpins carried by said housing loosely engaging in said slots to limit the forward swinging of saidhousing, a pair of fixed contacts carried by saidstationary member, a pair of hook-shaped corrtacts a bridging bar fixed to. said hook-shaped contacts and fixed relative to said housing whereby said latter contacts will engage. said fixed contacts when said housing swings downwardly and forwardly. I

LEO C. ZIEJHNPFEJNNIG. v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ponath Sept. .1, 1936' 

